The Stansted 15 were acting to uphold justice, not to contravene it. The state must not be able to use sweeping powers granted for the so-called fight against international terrorism to aid its agenda elsewhere.

The study restriction saga is a prime example of the effects of the UK government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy. It shows how statutory powers, granted for a specific and restricted purpose, can take on a life of their own in the hands of a government which has vowed to make life difficult for those without legal status in the UK, blind to the consequences for asylum seekers and vulnerable individuals.